A/N: Im planning on changing the title to this fic so look out for that.
Disclaimer: Uuuhhhhh the good news is that theres no disclaimer. Bad news is that the teletubbies called in reinforcements from a certain purple dinosaur and his minions [shudder]... the lawyers are loosing, something about not being able to hit the purple monstrosity X.x!
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SALVATION
A lone, dark figure was curled into a tight ball on a particularly gnarled tree branch in the middle of Inuyasha Forest. The faint, green light that managed to filter in through the dense foliage highlighted a flash of white and red before the leaves shifted again with the faint summer breeze and the figure was thrown into the shadows again.
Long silver hair flashed as the wind picked up and lost, heavy-lidded, golden eyes were revealed as the thick canopy shifted again. But they had lost their luster, their usual gleam and now resembled nothing more than dull marbles. Sightless as he battled an inner battle that by the looks of things... he was loosing.
Inuyasha had been like that for quiet a while, ever since Kaede had told him about ... about his friends leaving him Inuyasha fled into the forest and ran like someone possessed. He had alternated between running and weaving through the thickening greenery on the ground and leaping through the trees.
His mind had been so absorbed in getting away from it all that he had lost track of where he was going and he had ended up in that particular tree by sheer coincidence. See, as he was leaping through a much higher tree he had slipped and fallen until the branch he was currently on had stopped him. His body protested loudly to the harsh treatment but he was way beyond hearing distance and could have cared less even if he had registered the pain.
He barely noticed the weather and time was like a foreign concept to him as his thoughts rolled over him.
His hair was matted and oily since he hadn't bathed in days and the animals stayed away from his immediate area because the scent that fell off of him was not only unpleasant but disturbing.
Everything was a blur to him, occasionally a memory would flash in his mind and he would sucked under.
'All alone. Again. Just like before.'
Green and black swam in front of him as a memory from his past swallowed him up...
:.:.:.:.: IN ANOTHER PART OF JAPAN
A white blur accompanied by a childish giggle ran through the soldiers legs followed by a playful growl. All of the men smiled indulgently as they felt the child expertly weave through the jumble of limbs.
It was a daily occurrence that they all enjoyed since it was evidence of how much had changed since the girl had arrived at their doorstep, literally...
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A young soldier was walking back from a trip to his mothers in the village, he was just rounding the corner of the last house and looking at the gates that led into his lords palace when a brilliant flash on the ground caught his attention and he stopped cold.
There, hidden by the bushes surrounding the wooden gates, was a small bundle of white, a familiar looking bundle that the man had seen after vicious battles. A bundle that he seriously hoped hadn't suffered the same fate as the others.
Shaking off the horrible feeling of trepidation the soldier stiffly approached the bundle and with shaking hands turned it over. A breath he didn't know he had been holding escaped in a rush as he saw that the child was not only warm but breathing.
Unable to leave her the man clumsily picked her up and took her to the kitchens where he was sure one of the maids would know what to do with a her.
His hunch was dead-on. As soon as the women saw the frail girl-child in his awkward hold and the clueless look on his face they had all rushed him effectively burying him a mass of limbs, cooing, and amused looks. After the horrible feeling of suffocation they all scattered, leaving him to fall to the floor in relief. It was only then that he noticed that the child was no longer in his care.
:.:.:.:.:
All the women gushed over the child and tutted at her obvious frailty, they took turns watching over their charge until she woke and then pounced on her. Feeding her, giving her small trinkets and fresh clothes until she was rosy-cheeked and full of energy.
It did bother them that she couldn't seem to remember anything about her past but they were all to happy to have some happiness back in the castle that they pushed it aside.
They all needed her childish smiles and easy manner. Ever since their lord had met that taijiya, fallen in love with her, and been rejected, he hadn't been the same. Their lord was a good man, a fair man who loved and honestly cared for his people. But after that woman he hadn't been the same.
He was still fair but everything else about him had seemed to fade. He had taken to locking himself into his dark quarters and most of his meals were returned to the kitchen with most of the food still there.
They were all worried about him and the happy atmosphere in the castle had quickly turned to a somber one until all the servants tip-toed around the grounds and laughter was greatly discouraged. But the child didn't know that and her happy manner was a treasure.
:.:.:.:.:
It was during one of her usual trips around the castle that the child ran into a closed door, curious she pushed it opened and found a man that she had never met. He was sitting on the floor, looking through the bamboo curtains into the courtyard.
Despite the heavy air in the darkened room the child ran into inside and threw herself into the mans lap. Startled the lord of the castle looked down at the odd looking child in his lap that was looking quiet comfortable.
She was startlingly pale with the beginnings of a faint tan with a pair of baby-blue eyes in a impossibly light shade that reminded him of a spring sky. But it was her hair that made her so exotic, she had hair the color of wheat. Almost white, but not quiet. It was such a light shade that was a startling contrast to the the black and brown seen in their parts that it made anyone look twice. And it sparkled with a golden undertone that mesmerized the man.
:.:.:.:.:
The girl managed to burrow into the lords heart almost immediately. Her easy manner and quick way of making everyone fall in love with her had him wrapped around her little finger.
It didn't take long for the lord to start playing with her daily, their laughter resonating through the grounds and the easy manner once again returned to the castle.
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Hope ran into the grounds orchard, weaving in and out of the different trees as she giggled every few steps. Finally she found a thick apple tree and dove behind the trunk. She sagged against the rough bark as she tried to catch her breath, soon a deep voice reached her ears. "Now where did she go? I could have sworn the little sprite ran in here!"
The child put a hand over her mouth to stop the giggle from escaping and giving away her position. "Awww! No fair, now I can't find you!" The voice called out playfully.
Despite herself she let out a loud giggle and not two seconds later a tall figure scooped her up with a playful growl. She let out a loud shriek followed by a carefree laugh that only children can give as the man tickled her mercilessly.
The two fell to the soft ground as she continued to roll around helplessly. The lord feigned surrender as she attacked him in turn.
Later as he was tucking her in the lord thanked Kami, like he did every night, for the wonderful gift she had given him. She had given him his Hope back in the form of the odd looking child and he never forgot it or to thank her for the blessing. Hope never failed to cheer him up or to pull him away from his duties when they began to wear on him. She was his world and he gladly let himself surrender to her every whim...
:.:.:.:.: WITH KAGOME
"Come on! Concentrate!" Ayame shouted at her as Kagome missed yet another perfectly good strike. Sweat ran down her body and dripped off her nose as she continued to spar with the red-head. With a scary look in her blue eyes Kagome used one of her movable iridescent shields to encase her body and practically flew at the girl. Ayame just missed the blow to her jaw that the young miko had aimed for. Everybody froze.
Just as suddenly as the headache came it was gone and Kagome turned wide eyes toward her friends and mentors...
:.:.:.:.:
A breathy "Inuyasha" escaped Kagome's lips as she tossed and turned restlessly. The others looked at their friend worriedly as they debated whether to tell her or not.
Sango turned anxious fushia eyes to Miyu's hazel ones. The old youkai sighed heavily, she didn't know what to do. The young girls powers were exciting to work with but they were like nothing she had ever encountered.
Yes the girl had miko powers but she behaved like no miko she had ever run across. Hell the woman had seen Kikyo in action long ago and this girl, however much she resembled the other, was nothing like the living dead priestess.
Miyu thought back to another miko, one who existed so long ago that even she did not remember clearly. Midoriko. That woman was a wonder, she remembered that much, in fact all three girls were. But when she thought about it Miyu realized that while Midoriko and Kikyo's powers were definitely Miko powers. Kagome's were not.
To make things worse the girl had been marked, well the attempt had been made, and the bond that was formed was stronger than any she had ever heard of. Even between two full youkai's.
She felt that something bigger than all of them was happening but for the life of her she couldn't figure out what it was. Unable to do more than try and prepare her young friend as best she could Miyu continued to watch Kagome's fitful sleep.
Sango visibly wilted from her seat in Miroku's lap as she interpreted the youkai's gaze correctly. Miroku squeezed her briefly, trying to reassure her however he too was worried. This was the fourth night in a row that their friend whispered Inuyasha's name in her sleep, he couldn't help but think that it was all building up to something and so he waited.
:.:.:.:.:
'Aaggghhh!!!! This damn headache wont go away! Its been more than a week for crying out loud!' Kagome stubbornly pushed aside the faint pulsing in order to concentrate on her fight with Ayame.
Ayame saw her the struggle in friends eyes but she didn't worry until she saw the hard glint in their now navy depths, as if on cue Kagome suddenly moved faster than ever before until she too disappeared and reappeared in another spot like a youkai. Poor Ayame was too stunned to do much more than stare and before she knew it Kagome delivered a roundhouse kick to her jaw that had her flying.
Then just a quickly the fight went out of her and she stumbled into sight, her now cerulean eyes looked around confusedly. The others rushed to help the girls up while all thinking the same thing: Its going to happen soon.
:.:.:.:.:
It wasn't until the girls were taking a private dip in the hot springs that the mystery of who set Kagome up was uncovered. And it was all thanks to Ayame...
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All three were relaxing after a grueling day, Sango and Ayame trying to ease Kagome's worry about her powers, when the subject took a sudden twist.
"You know Kujoni seems to to be acting a bit odd lately, she keeps popping up everywhere..." Sango mentioned. Miyu gave a wryly amused snort from her spot on a rock where she was lazily braiding Ayame's hair, "Ha! That Yoshii is one piece of work!"
Suddenly Ayame froze under her hands while the two humans looked at Miyu curiously, "I thought her name was Kujoni." Kagome stated while Sango nodded her part.
"It it now. She started calling herself that a few decades ago, but the name she was given at birth was Yoshii. Perfectly serviceable name if you ask me!" The old youkai stated.
Ayame suddenly turned around and looked at her the old woman, "Are you sure that her name is Yoshii?" She whispered harshly, at Miyu's nod her flushed face visibly paled.
"Whats wrong child?" Miyu asked worriedly, by then the other two girls had made their way toward Ayame. The red head took a shaky breath before telling them what she knew.
"Yoshii is... very ambitious." Here she nervously licked suddenly dry lips, "Yoshii and I used to be best friends when we were pups... you know how much I love Kouga? Well thats nothing compared to what she felt toward him back then and I wager that her feelings haven't changed over the years... if anything they have gotten more intense." The words tumbled out in a harsh whisper while the others just stared at their friend.
Miyu frowned at this but didn't interrupt, "You see, she had this intense love for Kouga. She was convinced that they were meant to be together. It wasent until the day that Kouga helped me out and made his promise to me that I saw how deep her... love... ran."
Kagome and Sango looked at each other worriedly as Ayame's words tumbled out, "She. Even as a child, she was strong and resourceful. It wasent until we were a little older that her powers emerged. It was about a decade before the incident with me and Kouga. You see she can sense power. Be it miko or otherwise."
Miyu frowned at this bit of information, 'I never knew this...'
"But its only powerful "Magic" that she can sense... and break. Powerful spells are like rice paper to her: easy to shred. However, she can't sense simple spells. Those she cant touch..."
Finally Miyu had had enough, "How is it that I didn't know about this?" She demanded. Ayame cocked her head to the side as she thought about it, "You weren't here... I'd forgotten about that. I think that you were still traveling during that time, I don't really remember since I was so young then."
An uneasy feeling settled inside her, finally Miyu asked what they were all thinking "What happened between you two?" Ayame sighed heavily before answering, "As I was making my way back that night I accidentally saw her in the forest... she had a statue of Kouga. It was... disturbing. The way that she snuggled up to it and her words (here she shuddered violently) It wasent simply her words but the way she said them that still sends chills down my spine... I instinctively hid in the shadows. It wasent until I saw the gleam in her eyes that I ran."
The group was silent as Ayame's words sunk in, they all jumped when she resumed the story. "Her eye's they shone with a demented light. Even the lines of her face had changed... Before I ran I saw her lean in to kiss it. But it was her eyes that made the action seem so obscene."
It was around then that Kagome felt a faint tugging at the back of her mind, she concentrated on it and gave a soft gasp. "Its her!" Miyu quickly gathered their clothes while Kagome threw a simple shield around them. They didn't have to wait long for the girl to appear.
The harsh look on the womans face shocked them all so that they almost gave their position away. Her face was twisted into a horrible mask as she stopped at the edge of the hot spring, she sniffed around for a while but finding nothing she left with a spine tingling snarl.
It was quiet a while before anybody was able to move again. The insane look on her face had them all shivering despite the heat of the water. As if by silent agreement they quickly climbed out and went to find the others...
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:.:.:.:.: BACK TO INUYASHA
"Your a freak!" "Who would want you?" "Filthy little half breed!" "You should have been killed at birth!" "Monster!" "Mutt!!" "You should have died with you're whore of a mother!"
And so on. The taunts went on an on. Endless in their brutality. They ran through his head in an endless stream until they eventually brought the images to light, images that he had fought to bury.
As the painful memories came to the surface Inuyasha automatically flattened his ears to his skull and tried to make himself as small a possible. Hoping to make them go away, just like when he was a child.
He should have know better, they always found him. No matter how small he tried to make himself...
:.:.:.:.: BACK TO KAGOME
All day long she'd had that awful headache resulting in her friends getting their asses kicked. (They weren't feeling too sympathetic to her right then, even as they watched over her) and had fallen asleep the second her head had hit the pillow.
Kagome was currently tossing in her bed roll once again but this time it was different. A slight flush covered her cheeks and her head felt hot and fuzzy not to mention that she kept getting flashes that reminded her of a strobe light.
After a while her clothes were soaked in sweat and she was crying out his name again. Her friends crowded around her, anxious as they felt the fever radiating off of her. Suddenly the throbbing in her head reached a painful pitch and the lights dancing around behind her eyes became clear...
:.:.:.:.:
Inuyasha was huddled in his fathers fire rat haori that was more like a big red blanket to him. Ash was everywhere, it overpowered his sensitive nose causing him to sneeze uncontrollably while his eyes burned from the ash that had embedded itself in them as he had clawed out of the rubble.
"Mama? Mama where are you? Mama!!?" He called out plaintively, each passing minute caused his desperation to grown exponentially until he was bawling for his missing mother. His chubby, baby face was screwed up with all his crying, his nose was red and runny, and his now soot-covered face had sticky tear stains all over it.
He clawed through all the rubble until his puppy claws were splintered or broken off completely. He searched until he saw the once polished wooden floor of his home. But his mother was nowhere in sight, not even a charred bone was left. 'Mother don't leave me!'
A howl echoed through the night, a pitch so high that it hurt to listen to. He went to sleep with a sore throat and throbbing fingertips, curled up in the place where he was sure that his mother had been.
He stayed there for days, waiting for his mother to come back. It was his stomach cramping so badly from hunger that made him pick himself up and make his way to the village.
Sniffling, Inuyasha shuffled his way to his grandfathers door and knocked politely but after a couple of minutes of this with nobody answering he gave up and tried his uncles place.
He didn't even realize how long he had been knocking when the door was suddenly flung open, he made to fling himself onto his uncle needing to be comforted badly but was stopped short.
"How dare you! How dare you come by my doorstep you filthy little hanyou! Go away before I chase you out of here myself!" The man hissed.
Scared Inuyasha just stared at his mothers brother with big golden eyes until the older man grabbed one of his sensitive ears and gave it a painful twist to emphasize his point. "I said get out!"
He was crying again, but now his ear was on fire and he was scared of the man he had always thought of as family. His uncle twisted his ear harder before pushing him away with a flick of his wrist making him trip on the small steps. He ended up on his butt in the dirt.
He scrambled away from his uncles long limbs, scared of being hit again, but the man simply turned and slammed the door in his face. The sound made him jump. It was a while before he brought a chubby fist that was covered in drying blood to his stinging eyes.
'Why did uncle twist my ear? Did I do something wrong? I don't understand, whats a hanyou?'
His abused ear was quivering faintly and an angry pink tinge covered it. The chibi Inuyasha rubbed it once more before the pain from his stomach distracted him from the closed door and he forced himself to his feet...
:.:.:.:.: A FEW MONTHS LATER
A very grubby Inuyasha was running out of a village with pebbles streaming after him. Occasionally one would make contact and a stinging pain would follow but he ignored it and he kept running, careful of the precious bundle in his arms.
Several villagers yelled obscene things after him but he ignored them and carried on, yelping when a particularly large pebble nicked his ear. He was sure that it would bruise later on.
His short, baby legs worked double time as he hurried toward his hiding spot, then he would be ale to eat. His stomach was always in pain but now that it knew that it would soon be fed it had escalated to an unbearable level.
He barley outran the men that were chasing him out of the village, yes he was fast for a child but the men had longer strides so they were almost evenly matched. But the promise of food in his belly spurred him on and he outran the men. However their words cut deeper than the abrasions the pebbles left behind ever could.
:.:.:.:.: ANOTHER COUPLE OF MONTHS
He lay on the forest ground, asleep and horribly sore after his attempt to nick some food from the village earlier that day. He wouldn't have gone anywhere near the place except that he still wasent very good at hunting and he was really hungry.
His bloody, baby hands held a small rock and several more lay in a neat pile nearby. He had learned early to sleep with some kind of weapon after some of the village men had caught him while he was sleeping one night and given him a painful beating. They had left him for dead and he had learned.
So now whenever they would decide to spring a surprise raid he was ready and would be able to get away.
The beating had hurt but the worst part was the fact that it had been his uncle who was responsible for almost fracturing his arm and ribs. And what he had said to him. About him and his mother! His own sister! The memory still made him cry at night. I still have a small scar on the outside of my eye from that beating. I thought I was going to loose that eye after it didn't heal immediately.
:.:.:.:.: ABOUT A YEAR AFTER
He was bathing for the first time in a while, since he had to time things so that he wouldn't run into anyone, when he heard her. A little girl was approaching the river. He quickly jumped out and pulled on his clothes but as he did so he caught her scent. There was something odd about this girl, something about her scent. So he waited until she came unto view after checking to make sure that there was nobody else nearby.
When she stepped into view he was startled to find that she asked him to come out of his hiding place. 'How did she know I was here?' Curious he peeked around the boulder and found himself face to face with his first demon. Of course he didn't know it at the time.
He began to figure it out when they were playing a game: "Kill the hanyou" 'Hey she knows what a hanyou is! Mother never told me what it was...' "Umm whats a hanyou?" He asked her timidly. The child had been surprised that he didn't already know but told him nonetheless.
"Their nasty li'll pests who don't have 'nough sense to crawl inta a whole an' die. I mean they have a human fo' a parent! How disgustin'! They should all be 'sterminated!" She recited as if reading it from a scroll.
"But why would you want to kill hayou's like me? My mama always smelled nice." He had stated innocently.
And thats when things turned ugly.
He had walked away with several bruises, cuts and scrapes on his person. But he had been able to hold his own. Sure she was naturally stronger than he was since she was a full youkai but he'd been on his own for over a year so he was a little stronger and faster than her through sheer practice.
It was that day that he decided to move away from his home. He'd had enough. And slowly after that day he had turned bitter toward the humans and youkai's. Opting to simply watch and learn...
:.:.:.:.:
"Your a freak!" "
Who would want you?"
"Filthy little half breed!"
"You should have been killed at birth!"
"Monster!"
"Mutt!!"
"You should have died with you're whore of a mother!"
:.:.:.:.:
Suddenly Kagome shot up, wide eyed. Tears streamed from her eyes and the hickey on her neck was throbbing. Crying from the intensity of what she had seen, no, relived.
She turned golden eyes to her startled friends before gulping back a sob, "I know where Inuyasha is! Oh god!! Inuyasha!" And she she dissolved into tears...
:.:.:.:.: OVER WITH INUYASHA
The painful memories were cut short by a familiar voice. "INUYASHA!"
His eyes snapped open as the voice resonated inside his head and a warm sense of something hovered over him for a second before settling over him like a much loved blanket.
His vision swam but he could still here HER inside his head. "We didn't leave you! We thought you left US. Oh god, I'm so sorry!" He immediately realized who was talking to him and relaxed but after a second he bristled at the pity he heard in her voice. However not a second later a scalding wave crashed over him and she continued. "If I EVER run across that uncle of your's he had better run! Who does he think he is!"
He closed his now sapphire eyes as he took comfort in the warmth she was sending him and slept a peacful sleep for the first time in over a week.
:.:.:.:.: IN KOHARU'S VILLAGE
One minute he was outside gathering some firewood and the next he found himself inside the chicken coop covered in blood and feathers. He sluggishly looked around and noticed that he was standing in the middle of a bloodbath.
Bits and pieces of dead chickens were everywhere, blood was smeared on the walls, entrails and carcasses were thrown around haphazardly.
Scared they child stood rooted there before his mothers angry voice reached his ears and he knew he had to get out of there. Quickly he stole out of the small shack and ran toward the bucket of water behind the house but he blacked out again.
This time he found himself in the soldiers barracks in the middle of the storage room. Spoiled food was everywhere, the stink of urine was rank and pungent. The child was shaking uncontrollably by then and the sight of all the weapons in ruins scattered around the mess did nothing to comfort him. Especially since he had a small saw in his hands.
The tool fell from his numb hands as he heard the gruff voices in the hall. He started to hyperventilate as they drew closer but just as a shadow peeked through the sliding doors he blacked out yet again.
This time he found himself in his room, clean of the filth and in a new change of clothes. Running trembling hands down the front of his haori he ran toward his dresser, grabbed his mirror and promptly dropped it.
'Whats happening to me? My eyes!' His already strange lilac eyes had a strange shadow roiling in their depths that was clearly visible. It pulsed and shivered even as he stood there.
He didn't hear the mirror shatter but he did hear the shouting, it was coming from outside his door. His stomach was in knots but he forced himself to walk toward the noise, however much his feet felt as heavy as boulders.
Once there his bladder almost let itself loose.
Outside his home was a frightful mob, complete with makeshift weapons and bloodthirsty shouting. It wasent until he saw the mutilated bodies of his sister and her friends that he once again track of time...
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Woo! That was a deep chapter! Hope it wasnet too rushed. The next chapter chapter will hopefully have the conclusion of Kouga's problems among other things!